Water Fun

In the summer months, ResearchTrianglePark is only a three hour drive away from the North CarolinaCoast.  The 300 mile long coastline enjoys mild temperatures from March to October.

  For swimming, boating, water skiing and picnicking there are several large lakes situated in the Triangle or a short drive from it. The closets lake to ResearchTrianglePark is  Jordan Lake in ChathamCounty.  This 14,310-acre lake consists of recreational facilities, multiple boat access points and camping areas.  Most of the regions lakes retain their natural setting because residential development surrounding the lakes has been limited. While this policy has not always been popular with developers, it has allowed boaters on any of North Carolina’s lakes to enjoy uninterrupted breathtaking views.   Falls Lake in Granville and WakeCounties (12,490-acre lake) is also close enough to ResearchTrianglePark to provide another option for people wanting to live on a lake and commute to RTP. There are many residential options on FallsLake in WakeForest and the drive to RTP is 30-45 minutes. Other lakes surrounding the ResearchTrianglePark include: Kerr Lake in Vance, Granville and WarrenCounties (50,000-acre),  Lake Gaston , which is accessible through WarrenCounty (20,000-acre. Smaller lakes offering recreational activities include LakeMichie and Little River Reservoir in DurhamCounty, Cane Creek Reservoir and UniversityLake in OrangeCounty, MayoLake and Hyco Lake in PersonCounty, and Lakes Crabtree, Wheeler, and Benson in WakeCounty. The Triangle Region also offers multiple options for canoeing, kayaking, fishing and hiking along local rivers. Some of the rivers include the Cape Fear River, Haw River, Deep River, EnoRiver, Tar River, NeuseRiver, New Hope Creek and the Roanoke River.

Golfing

Golf enthusiasts living in the Triangle Region have many options. The most famous NC golf area is MooreCounty, which has earned the title “The Golf Capital of the World”. MooreCounty boasts more than 43 golf courses and is home to Pinehurst # 2 , which recently hosted the 1999 & 2005 U.S. Open. In addition,  Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines has recently hosted the 1996 & 2001 U.S. Women’s Open.

The Triangle Region offers several choice communities for golf course living. In Cary, NC Prestonwood Country Club has fifty-four holes of championship golf, nine lighted tennis courts, a full service fitness center, a recreational pool with water slide, and a full size lap pool. The club house offers gourmet dining options as well as quick meals. Homessurrounding the golf course are in the million dollar range, while homes around the Preston range greatly and townhomes are offered in the 100,000.  The amenities of Prestonwood are echoed in Lochmere Golf Club and MacGregor Downs Country Club also located in Cary. These courses have been described as “challenging” by some of the best Golf Professionals in the Nation.  Raleigh also offers world class golf living on the TPS at Wakefield Plantation. This 2,200 acre master planned community features an 18-hole golf course designed by U.S. Open Champ Hale Irwin. The communities other amenities include a Tournament Players Clubhouse; private TPC Sports Club with swimming pools, tennis and children's play areas; walkways, hiking trails and bike paths.

Homes in the Triangle golf course communities range from the 100,000 townhome to the multimillion dollar spread with golf course views. Golfers with any budget will be satisfied with the many solutions for golf course living in the Triangle Region or they can easily visit one of the 600 NC courses that wind their way across some of the most picturesque and diverse landscapes.

Natural Areas 

The Triangle area is blessed with several large natural areas, even in the heart of its major metropolitan areas. UmsteadState Park is 5,300 acres of woodland between Raleigh and Durham. EnoRiverState Park covers 2,300 acres in Durham and OrangeCounties. RavenRockState Park offers 3,058 acres of park land and is famous for its striking rock formation. KerrLake has 22 wildlife management areas developed, consisting of over 10,000 acres of land, for intensive wildlife management techniques. Seven state parks are located along the North Carolina shores of KerrLake. The 8,300-acre DukeForest is a privately owned research forest in Durham and OrangeCounties that also provides recreational opportunities. Weymouth Woods in MooreCounty is a 778-acre natural area. There is also an extensive gameland in MooreCounty called the Sandhills Gameland. In addition to park systems, many communities are developing extensive greenway and trail systems. The six-county non-profit Triangle Land Conservancy has worked to preserve several regionally significant natural areas

	Park Acreage in the Research Triangle Region
		State Recreational Acreage	Local Recreation Acreage
Chatham		43,751	30
Durham		23,955	2,497
Franklin		250	60
Granville		13,554	25
Harnett		3,064	188
Johnston		221	151
Lee		2,421	500
Moore		4,150	313
Orange		2,284	566
Person		8,003	185
Vance		3,536	164
Wake		30,541	7,539
Warren		315	20
RT Region		136,045	11,847

State Fair Grounds

The Fair grounds is the home to the annual North Carolina State Fair for ten days every october. For the rest of the time the grounds are used for sevel events such as agricultural events, boats show, technology events and many more.

Kids Fun